Apparatus for aerating liquids



APPARATUS FOR AERATING LI'QUIDs 'Filed Jgly 50, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pr-.MMM

June 1 1926. 1,587,320

W. HUCKS APPARATUS FOR AERATING LIQUIDS WILL/HM vHUCKG BY H13 rroxnfys Patented June 1', 1926.

Unirse STATES eAreN-r OFFICE.

WILLIAM`I-IUCKS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 LIMITED, OF CAMDEN TOWN, ENGLAND.

SODASTREAM APPARATUS Foa AERATING nieuwe.

Application filed July 30, 1925, Serial INo. 47,038, and in Great Britain September 27, 19,24..

This invention is a modication of, or improvement upon, the invention described and claimed'in the specilication of application for Letters Patent Serial No. 733,020 .tiled August 19, 1924i and has for its principal objects to simplify the kmechanism and its operation and to avoid the use of the gland through which the piston rod slides and also to minimizeI friction in the moving parts, and to render the apparatus very compact and conveniently operated.

According to this modification, or improvement, the receptacle in which the liquid'is aci-ated, is open at its lower end, and the piston-like body, which is movable in the said receptacle, is connected through a yoke, or other suitable connection, to a lever fulcrumed to some fixed part of the apparatus. The said lever is operated from a shaft mounted in fixed bearings and provided with means by which it can be given rotary movement in one direction so as to raise lthe movable body in the receptacle and discharge the aerated liquid therefrom and, by continued movement, lower', or allow the descent of, the said movable body in the said receptacle in readiness to discharge liquid at the next operation of the machine. The said shaft can also be provided with `means by which, during its rotary movement, the combined outlet and safety valve and the counting device, or either of them, can be operated and means are provided by which the shaft is prevented from being turned in the reverse direction, and there is, preferably, also provided a locking device liberated by the gas under pressure so that the apparatus cannot be operated until gas is admitted t'o the receptacle.

There may also be provided modified means, as hereinafter described, for preventing the liquid to be aerated from passing out or" the receptacle owing to siplioning action set up by the discharge of the aerated portion ci liquid,

l will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an apparatus constructed in accordance therewith.`

Figure 1 is an elevation shewing the parts in the position when the piston is at the bottom of its stroke and Figure 2 is al vertical section shewing the parts in the position when the piston is at the top of its stroke. Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1 with the inverted spherical bottleremoved and Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line a, a, Figure 1.

The receptacle in which the liquid is aerated, consists oit' a vertical cylinder l within a vessel 2 containing liquid to be aerated supplied from a reservoir shewn as an inverted spherical bottle 3 supported on a hinged top, or cover, 4 at one end of the said vessel 2, the neck of the said bottle dipping into the liquid in the said vessel to `an extent necessary to maintain the liquid at the predetermined level. The top, or cover, l'can be turned on its hinge to bring the bottle 3 secured thereto into position to be charged with liquid, and to prevent escape of the said liquid from the bottle whilst the hinged top, or cover, is being returned to its normal position, a stopper 5 is provided which can, from the outside of the said top, or cover, be removed from the mouth of the said bottle when in its inverted position.

The cylinder 1 is open at its lower end and contains the piston-like body which consists of a piston 6, of smaller diameter than the interior of the said cylinder, having secured to its upper surface a flexible valve 7 opening upwards as in the apparatus described-and shewn in the specification and drawings of 4my aforesaid prior application. The rod 8 of the piston .6 passes through a guide 9, formed in one with va piece 10 constituting a stop for the said piston. The `piston 6 Yis recipnocated in the cylinder 1 by a lever 11 pivotally mounted in bearings 12 formed in side 'brackets 13 secured to a plate 1.11. The plate 14 is secured to the top of the cylinder 1 and constitutes a cover for the portion of the vessel 2 not covered by the hinged top, or cover, 44t, and the said plate has formed thereon a downwardly projecting hollow part 14E"- which lits in and limits the capacity of the cylinder 1,v

The plate 14 extends beyond the end ot the vessel 2 remcte 'from the hinged top, or cover, 4 and on this extension parts oit the mechanism of the apparatus, hereinafter referred to, are carried. rlhe end of 'the lever 11 is connected to the lower end ot the piston rod 8 by a yoke, consisting of an upper cross-bar 15 with which the said lever engages and a lower cross-bar 16 to which the said lower end oi the piston rod is attached, the said cross-bars being connected by rods 17 which pass through openings in the plate 14. The lever 11 is operated by a cam 18 secured to, or formed in one with, a shaft 19 mounted in bearings 2O on the side brackets 13, the said shatthaving a handle 21 for rotating it. Partial rotary movement, in one direction, of the shaft 19 causes the cam 18 to act-nate the lever 11 and raise the piston 6 in the cylinder 1 thereby discharging from the said cylinder the liquid which is above the valve 7 ot the said piston and draws in a :trcsh charge of liquid, or allows a fresh charge or liquid to flow, beneath the said piston, into the said cylinder. Continued movement ol the shaft 19 in the same direction causes the cam 18 to allow the piston 6 to descend by gravity through the liquid in the cylinder 1 in readiness for the next operation oi the apparatus.

The liquid and any surplus ,gas passes. through a valve controlled passage 22 in communication with a space 23 in the upper end of the cylinder 1, into an annular space 24 surrounding the valve seating from which annular space it passes through a drawing oil' spout 25. The valve controlling the passage 22 is a combined discharge and saiety valve consisting in, or comprising, two parts 26 and 27 with a spring 28 between them as described and shewn in the speciiit tion and drawings ot' my said prior application and it is caused to be opened and closed at the proper times by the rotation ot the shatt- 19 as hereinafter described. rllie annular space 24 is formed in a protuberance 29 formed on the side ot the cylinder 1 beneath the portion of the plate 14 projecting therefrom, and to the outer side of this protuberance is secured a tubular piece 30 constituting a guard and guide for the aforesaid combined discharge and safety valve.

The part 26 oi' the combined discharge and safety valve is secured to, or formed in one with, a screwed rod 31 engaging a nut 32 on a piece 33 depending, through slots 34 in the plate 14, from another plate slidable on the said plate 14. lhe nut 32, depending` piece 38, and plate 35 are proierably formed in one piece. Reciprocal movement of the plate 35 causes the conibined discharge and safety valve to open and close the passage 22 which is in comn'iunication with the interior 01"' the cylinder 1 and this is etl'ected at the proper times by cams 36, secured to the shaft 19, which engage upstanding pieces 87 formed in one with the plate 35. rlhe upstanding pieces 3'? are'arranged one on each side of the cam 36, so that at each complete rotation of the shaft 19 the plate 85 is caused to make one complete reciprocal movement. The aforesaid movement ot the slidableplate 35 can also be caused to actuate a counter 38 to indicate the total number of portions oi liquid aerated, which may be done by securing the said counter to the said slidable plate and causing the lever 39 ot the counterl io engage, or come into contact with, a hole 40 in the stationary plate 14 so that at each reciprocal movement of the said slidable plate the said lever will be actuated. In Figures 1 and 2 the counter is shewn protected by a casing 41 having an aperture 42 therein through which the figures of the counter can be seen, but in Figure 3 the said casing is presumed to be removed in order to shew the counter and its actuating lever more clearly. As there may be occasions when it is necessary to discharge ncn-aerated liquid trom the cylinder without rotating the shaft 19 this can be done by unscrewing the rod 31, which is provided with a hand-wheel 43 for this purpose, thereby withdrawing the part 2T ot the combined discharge and safety valve from its seating so that the liquid can be discharged, through the drawing otil spout 25 by raising the yoke connected to the piston-like body 6. it desired an outlet 44 may be provided at the bottom of the vessel 2 i'or emptying it when required; any suitable means may be provided for normally closing the said outlet, ll have shewn a stopper 45 inserted therein for this purpose.

in order to lock the apparatus and prevent its operation until gas has been admitted to the cylinder l, the shaft 19 has lugs, or stops, 46 secured thereto, or formed in one therewith, which normally engage projections 47 formed on the forked end ot an arm 48 of a bell-crank lever pivoted to the plate 14, the other arm 49 ot which is connected to a plunger 50 capable of sliding in a cylinder 51 in communication, by the aussage 52, with the cylinder 1 in such manner that, on the admission ot the aerating gas through the pipe 53 to the said cylinder, a portion of the gas, or the liquid under the pressure of the gas, passes through the said passage 52 into the cylinder 51 and the plunger 50 is moved downwards in the said cylinder causing the said bell-crank lever` to be actuated so as to release the projections 47 on its arms 48 from the lugs; or stops, 46 and allow the shaft 19 to be turned by the handle 21. rlllie arm 49 ot the bellcrank lever is controlled by a spring 54 so that aiter the piston-like body C has been :4 by the operator.

raised and discharged aerated liquid from the cylinder 1 the projections 47 are in position to re-engage the lugs, or stops, 46, and lock the apparatus until the admission of gas again releases it. The arm 49 of the bell-crank lever is connected to the rod of the plunger 50 by a yoke which is shewn as consisting of an upper' bar 56, in engagement with the said arm 49 and a lower bar 57, connected to the end of the said plungerl rod 55, the said bars 56 and 57 being connected by bars, or rods, 58.

In order to prevent liquid from continuing to flow through the drawing off spout 25 after the discharge of the portion which has been aerated and before the valve has been moved baclr onto its seating the annular space 24 surrounding the valve seating may communicate with the air outside the apparatus by a passage, or passages, additional to the said d rawing off spout, so that, as soon as the aerated liquid has been discharged from the cylinder 1, the siphoning action .is arrested by the admission of atmospheric air into the annular spa-ce 24. The admission of atmospheric air to the annular space 24 is shewn as being effected by a passage 60 and with the atmospheric air by a passage 61 (see Figure 4) which leads into the space above the liquid contained in the vessel 2.

Secured to the shaft 19 is a ratchet-wheel G2 with the teeth of which a pawl 63 engages to prevent back movement of the handle 21 The pawl 63 is normally held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 62 by a weight 64 formed in one with the said pawl.

65 indicates a piece carrying the gas pipe 58, the said piece having a screw-threaded part 66 for connecting thereto a gas container (not shewn) and 67 indicates a tray for catching any liquid that may drip from the drawing off spout 25.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows Presuming the parts to be in the position shew-n in Figure 1, gas under pressure is first admitted by the pipe 53 to the cylinder 1 and aerates the liquid therein and under the gas pressure the flexible valve 7 is flattened out and as its diameter is a little more than that of the interior of the said cylinder it makes a pressure-tight joint between the' piston and cylinder wall. If there be any excessive pressure it will be relieved by the yielding of the spring 2S of the combined discharge and safety valve. Some of the pressure in the space 23 in the upper end of the cylinder 1 passes through the passage and forces the plunger 50 downwardly in its cylinder thereby turning the bell-crank lever 48, 49, on its pivot so that the projections 47 thereon are moved out of engagement with the lugs, or stops, 46 and there-by permit the "handle 21 to be rotated in the direction of the arrow Z) shewn in Figures 1 and 2. Upon. the rotation of the handle 2i in the aforesaid direction the cams 36 on the shaft 19 operate to move the combined discharge and .safety valve ofi its seating to first release any gasnot absorbed by the liquid and then the cam 18 on the said shaft operates to move the piston-like body 6 upwards in the cylinder 1 so that the aerated liquid is forced out of the said cylinder through the passage 22 and the drawing oil' spout 25 into the glass, or other receptacle placed to receive it. When the aerated `liquid has been discharged from the cylinder 1 the parts of the apparatus will be in the position shewn in Figure 2, and on continued movement of the handle 21 the said parts will be returned to the position shewn in Figure 1 in readiness for a succeeding operation of the apparatus.

I declare that what I claim is 1. Apparatus for aerating liquids comprising a receptacle open at its lower end, a piston-like body within the receptacle for discharging aerated liquid, a lever fulcrumed at one end to a fixed part of the apparatus, and means connecting the other end of said lever to said piston-like body, in combination with an operating shaft mounted upon the apparatus, and means associated with the shaft and with the lever, whereby through rotary motion of the shaft in one direction said piston-like body may be raised in said receptacle to discharge the liquid therefrom, and through continued rotation of the shaft in the same direction said body may 'be lowered in said receptacle to a position ready to discharge a fresh quantity of the liquid at the next operation of the apparatus.

2. In an apparatus in accordance with claim 1, means actuated by the rotation of the operating shaft in one direction whereby the valve controlling the outlet passage from the receptacle is moved off and onto its seaty ing during each cornplete rotation of said shaft, substantially as hereinbefore described. i

3. In an apparatus according to claim 1, a slidable piece having the valve controlling the outlet passage from the receptacle attached thereto and a cam, secured to the operating shaft, adapted to move said slidable piece backward and forward whereby said valve is moved olf and onto its seating during each complete rotation of said shaft, substantially as hereinbefore described.

4. In an apparatus according to claim 1, a slidable piece to which a valve controlling the outlet passage is attached, a counting mechanism attached to said slida-ble piece and having an actuating lever adapted to be engaged by a stationary part of the apparatus during each reciprocal movement of said shdable piece Wherebj,7 said counting adlnted to the receptacle containing the mechanism is caused to be operaed; sul liquid ie be aerated; substantially as herestantially as hereinbefore described. nbefore described. 10

5. In an apparatus in accordance With in tesulnon Y whereof have signed my claim l, a lockingv device, liberated by ges name 'to this specifcaton.

under pressure, adapted to prevent the rotation of the operating shaft until the gas is WILLIAM HUCKS. 

